They say it was such a success in 2017 that they have made it a six-day event this year, instead of five.

“Clopotiva is part of the Retezat National Park, one of the highest and most beautiful mountain ranges in Romania. The highest peak is Peleaga, at 2,509m. It’s a peak that can be reached fairly easy, crossing from Pelegii meadow. On the way you will pass Bucura lake (the largest glacial lake in Romania, with a surface of almost 90 000m²) which can be admired in all its splendour from the top of Peleaga.

El Yelmo International Festival of the Air is back in Segura de la Sierra, Andalucia, Spain, on 1-3 June 2018. Now in its 19th edition, the free-flying festival promises three days of fun in the Spanish sun, with airshows, a trade fair, conferences, a competition and the International Festival of Air Cinema.

Hundreds of paraglider and paramotor pilots are expected, with 20,000 spectators over the weekend.

The 2018 Naviter Open will take place at St Jean Montclar in southern France from 24 – 30 June.

The event is an FAI 2 competition, aimed at pilots wishing to learn the art of competition flying. Organisers say, “Pilots love the fun and friendly atmosphere, the in-depth daily briefings and the easy access to some of the best pilots in the world”.

The 2018 Belgian Hang Gliding Open takes place in Tolmin, Slovenia in the first week of July.

Organisers say:

“In the tradition of the Belgian nationals, we want to offer a competition for all XC pilot levels: from beginners to very experienced pilots. The main idea is to have a fair and enjoyable Cat 2 competition for everyone.

While we will not be pushing the limits of what can be done with hang gliding, we will of course ensure that the tasks are long enough to have a fair competition. Safety is high on our priority list and the inviting area allows us to set nice and scenic tasks for all experience levels”.

The British Paragliding Competitions committee have introduced a new event for 2018, the All Comers Open, which is an FAI cat 2 learning competition.

It’s aimed at pilots who have flown at least one competition before, and will take place at Feltre, Italy, from 21-28 July 2018.

Brett Janaway is meet director, and the competition tasks, which will be “challenging enough for the most accomplished pilots” will be backed up by briefings and debriefs, events and talks.

“The All Comers Open will attract PWC qualification letters and we therefore hope it will appeal to our young BPRA crew and their fellow pilots from other Euro nations, looking for a fun comp where they may also qualify for that all important first PWC season”.

Registration opens at 09:00 GMT on 3 February 2018, and organisers say:

“The approved pilot list will be ordered by time/date of registration and pilots will be invited to pay in ranked order. Registration for the competition will open on 3rd February 2018 and pilots will be invited to pay beginning 17th February”.

The Hang Gliding Pre-Worlds 2018 will be based in Tolmezzo, Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the northeast of Italy and will run from 27 July until 4 August.

Organisers say:

“The competition flying area will develop above extremely different and vast areas: from the sea to the Dolomites, crossing the flatlands, the Alps and the Prealps. The main competition region will be Friuli Venezia Giulia, but pilots could fly also above some other regions and countries: Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, Slovenia and Austria“.

The British Paragliding Championships is being run as a single round in 2018, and it will take place at Kruševo, Macedonia from 11-17 August.

“The British Championship will be contested as a single open competition, the British Championship Open, instead of as in previous years being contested over two open competitions, the rationale being that an increasing number of British pilots with time, family, or financial pressures simply can’t afford to attend both open competitions.

“The meet director will be Goran Dimiskovski. In line with our new FAI status as a Category 2 nation we now offer very good quality PWC qualification letters. Krushevo will be hosting the World Championships in 2019 too and so our Championship Open should be perfect for other nations’ team pilots looking for racing experience in this paragliding Mecca.

“Immediately after Krushevo there’s also a PWC in nearby Sopot, Bulgaria and Goran has offered to put on transport (5hours by coach) for those pilots interested in doing both competitions. As in previous years we expect to be joined by the Dutch for their Championship.

“Pilots registering for the competition will be required to have a minimum level of competition experience in line with previous years’ British Open Competitions. The approved pilot list will be ordered by pilots’ highest World Pilot Ranking System (WPRS) position in the past two years and pilots will be invited to pay in ranked order. Registration for the competition will open on 3 February 2018 and pilots will be invited to pay beginning 17 February”.